Awake and Alive
by Agent Henry
Summary: Disgraced in the eyes of his father and branded a wanted traitor by the Death Eaters, Theodore Nott runs and hides among the Muggles. Then a dream leads him to Harry Potter and everything changes: he's looking for Horcruxes, fighting against his own and trying unsuccessfully not to fall for one destined to be with another.
1. Never Gonna Sell My Soul

The silence was an eerie illusion, trying to make Theo believe that he was alone though he knew that wasn't true. The only light came from the tip of his wand; it was all he had to keep him from freaking out but the shadows along the walls and floor, all in different shapes and sizes, still caused him to jump and, occasionally, whimper. Even his own shadow gave him goosebumps. If it was any other night, he would never admit to such a weakness, not even to himself, but it was not like any other night.

Theo pressed himself as close to the wall as possible, half hidden in the dark hall; even with the right side of his face lit up by the light coming from his wand, no one noticed him when they walked past an hour ago. And he prayed it would stay that way.

They had gone into one of the rooms along the corridor, locked to keep out anyone considered unworthy of joining the meeting and unable to be listened in on thanks to a silencing charm _he_ had put on before they started.

They would call for Theo soon, but he didn't want to be in there, to stand among them.

Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

He had only been home for a few minutes when his father had entered his room and told him that the Dark Lord had requested Theo's presence. He knew why immediately, had dreaded the day ever since Harry Potter had told the world that Voldemort had returned at the end of fourth year. The nightmares had grown worse since he turned seventeen. Now they were coming true.

But Theo was ready. Ever since he'd been told, he'd prepared a little each day, to keep his father from knowing anything. By the time his father had told him this morning that he needed to be at Malfoy Manor by seven, he had deemed himself ready. His father hadn't noticed a thing.

_Good. It made things easier._

A door opened from down the hall and a dim light destroyed some of the shadows, but it did nothing to quell Theo's fear.

"We're ready, Theodore," David Nott murmured, though it seemed so much louder to Theo's ears.

He stood up, not wanting to anger them just yet. Theo allowed himself to be seen and gave a curt nod. His stomach twisted in knots that were almost painful and he hoped he wouldn't be sick, not that he thought he could - he'd already emptied his stomach. Theo didn't extinguish the light until he reached the door, and hide his wand in his sleeve because he knew he needed help in getting out and didn't want them taking his only defense.

He went through his speech in his head, knowing what he wanted to say; he wondered if he would actually be able to get the words out when the time came. They seemed to disappear completely when the door was locked again and he stood frozen behind them. His father squeezed his shoulder, not comfortingly, and pushed him forward, until he was stood in the center of the circle.

Theo glanced around briefly, recognizing some names and faces due to Pureblood functions he'd been to as a child, others he had no idea about. They sat straight-faced and serious, on high-backed chairs that looked uncomfortable. Their masks weren't on, but the hoods of their cloaks darkened some of their faces. No one spoke. Bellatrix LeStrange looked at Theo like he was prey, a weak animal she could kill with a single swipe. He gulped; of course she could. Her cold eyes narrowed dangerously when they met his, like she knew what his plan was.

Snapping his head to the center of the circle, Theo finally faced the Dark Lord. He was terrifying, even in the shadows. With bloodshot eyes that seemed to see into his very soul and pasty, chalk-like skin, Theo thought for a moment that he was looking at a corpse or an inferi. A hand stretched out to rest on a large snake; it was the only sign that suggested Voldemort was alive at all.

Theo kept his back straight and his eyes in front, his hands joined together behind his back, just like he had been taught to do in situations such as this. He considered it a miracle he wasn't shaking as badly as he thought he would be, but he knew he still was - and everyone else could see it, too.

Theo waited.

"Your father tells me that you have a remarkable magical ability," the Dark Lord whispered, more like a hiss from a snake. "It makes you a valuable asset, Theodore."

"Thank you." Theo spoke clearly, his voice quivering in fear.

He knew his father would sell him out the moment he knew that the man had discovered his gifts, but hearing it still hit him hard; he felt betrayed despite knowing his father was never good to him.

_Giving your own blood to your lord is one of the worst things you can do._

"I am very glad you agree, Theodore," Voldemort continued to hiss. "We are so pleased to have you join us tonight."

Voldemort turned to the others, expecting them all to agree; they only nodded. At least, most of them did. In the middle of the left side of the circle, his face somber and his eyes on the floor, Draco Malfoy didn't move. He wouldn't even look at Theo and he had to wonder if it was because of everything that had happened between them or if he just couldn't face the rest of the circle.

_No daddy to look after him._

Lucius Malfoy was not in the room, he noted; an initiation ceremony was only for the inner circle, the most elite of the Death Eaters. After his embarrassment in the Department of Mysteries, Lucius was not part of the group. Theo suspected Draco was only with them because of his role at Hogwarts a few weeks ago, or because Voldemort wanted him to see another of his peers join the ranks. His father was invited because his information on Theo had gained him favor with the Dark Lord.

Theo took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut to remember his words. He counted to ten, and then opened his eyes and returned Voldemort's gaze as best he could.

"No."

The Death Eaters around him squirmed, he could see a few from the corner of his eye, and some started to whisper. Theo didn't dare look for his father.

"How dare you defy my lord!" Bellatrix yelled, drawing her wand. Theo squeezed his own.

Voldemort touched her arm and she calmed, or at least stopped shouting. Her wand was still pointed at his chest.

"Quiet, Bella. I'm sure Theodore will make the right decision."

He would, Theo knew, but their definitions of 'the right decision' were very different.

"I said no," Theo repeated, louder this time. "I do not wish to join you and I will not let you use me to massacre innocents. I'd rather die."

If he was being honest with himself, that was true to an extent; if they killed him for not taking the Dark Mark and becoming a Death Eater, Theo would die with his self-respect intact, but he wasn't going to let it happen if he could help it.

_I have a plan. Follow the plan._

"Theodore, don't be a fool," his father snapped.

"I will not become like you," Theo whispered.

Voldemort rose from his seat, his wand drawn without Theo even realizing he'd done it, but it wasn't raised yet. He held it lightly in his hand, twirled it gently as he moved forward.

"Listen to your father, Theodore. To deny us would be a foolish mistake," Voldemort murmured dangerously. The voice brought violent shivers down his spine, hitting him like ice. "We are helping our kind to survive and your talents will lead us to victory. Do you not want that, Theodore? To live in a better world?"

He glanced down, picturing a better world; he saw smiling faces and normal, everyday occurrences. There was no fear of death for being who you were or saying the wrong thing. And their hero was clear in his mind. But it wasn't Voldemort.

"I do," he replied eventually.

The Death Eaters settled and Voldemort smiled cruelly, all sure that he was changing his mind. Theo moved his arms across his front, a move Voldemort didn't miss, but his wand was still hidden and that gave Theo a slight advantage.

"My answer is the same: no."

Theo remembered the spell he had found in a book in the library a last year and had practiced every moment he could, casting it quickly. A thick cloud of black smoke surrounded him, growing thicker and larger until hardly anyone could see. People around him coughed and panicked; Theo focused on his breathing, trying not to freak out in the dark, and ran for the door.

He and Draco had been close to being friends once, spending many days in the large manor thanks to their fathers. Draco had taught him all the ins and outs of the place, from the quickest routes to the secret passages; Theo knew he could get out, as long as he didn't get caught.

He ran as fast as he could, through the smoke and along the corridors, until he was at the back of the manor, near the house elves' quarters. Next to it, concealed as a closet, was a passage that led to the side of the manor; it was a tight fit, made him feel claustrophobic, and it was too dark, but he pushed on through. He reached the end of the tunnel, breathed in the fresh air and ran for the wards; as soon as he was past them, he could Apparate.

Theo's heart rate spiked when he heard voices, yells of his name and threats of what would happen if he didn't come back, promises of living if he came without a fuss. All false; Voldemort would never let him live now.

He ran with speed he didn't even know he had and was grateful to get to the wards without them catching up; he was spotted and they chased him, but his head start was an advantage. Once he passed them, he grabbed his bag from its hiding pace and Apparated, coming to a stop not far from his home. Given that he'd just run away, Theo figured this was the last place they would look for him. That didn't mean he was safe, he knew, but he still wasn't quite sure were to go.

He walked, keeping as close to the shadows as he could while still seeing light; it was summer and the sun hadn't set yet. Theo had time to find somewhere to go and allowed himself to imagine what was happening back at Malfoy Manor.

Only the Malfoys would know how he escaped and he knew they'd probably tell Voldemort, but that wouldn't help the Death Eaters. Theo briefly wondered what would happen to his father for Theo's disgrace, but shook it off; he felt nothing for the man, they shared blood and nothing more.

It took almost an hour for him to find a decent place to sleep, grateful he managed to find a bed and breakfast before it got too dark. It didn't cut into his budget too much and the room wasn't bad, if a little bare, but he only needed the bed. Theo dug into his bag until he found some pajama bottoms, changed and climbed under the sheets, keeping as vigilant as he could be without the use of magic; there were too many Muggles around and he couldn't trust that the Ministry wouldn't find him, even without the Trace still on him. Not with Voldemort gaining more and more power there.

It was hard to sleep and when it did come, his head was filled with nightmares of war and death. But one dream stuck out to him and he clung onto the hope of a hero with everything he could.

Maybe it would give him the strength to know what to do next.

* * *

**A/N:** A new story, a maybe Theodore/Harry. ;)

I know it's obvious, but, yes, this story is AU. The title and the chapter title are from Skillet's _Awake and Alive_ and fits Theo and this story pretty perfectly, I think. If you haven't heard it, or any of Skillet's music, I hope you do.

please let me know what you think.


	2. They Are Coming

Something was happening.

In the month and a half since Theo had run from the Death Eater's initiation ceremony, he had all but fallen off the map. At least, in their eyes. Hiding among Muggles, Theo had done what he could to keep tabs on as much of what was going on as possible and so far he had been successful in finding information while keeping out of sight. He made sure to stay away from Malfoy Manor and he usually didn't risk it when he saw Death Eaters he knew where in the inner circle, or close to it, but they were getting bolder, stronger in numbers and in support, and it had only been a matter of time before they did something.

Today was that time, Theo was sure of it. He just didn't know what it was. His dreams were coming in flashes, quick bursts with faces and screams, but the pieces were fragmented; he couldn't put the puzzle together. So he had resorted to sneaking out and finding Death Eaters who were more likely to know something and talk amongst themselves. As long as he wasn't spotted and captured, he would be fine, he told himself.

_I hope._

He didn't dare use magic, just in case they felt, heard or traced it, but he had gotten somewhat used to acting like a Muggle; the buses were hard, he was never sure of which stop to get off at, but he only used them if he was in or close to London. The further away he was, the more likely he was to Apparate; for the last couple of days, he'd been in a cheap holiday inn just outside of the city center, ready to look for potential information, and had taken the bus.

Theo wasn't far from the Ministry. He refused to go in, the Dark Lord had been close to infiltrating the place completely before he'd left and he couldn't chance it, but he considered it his best place to find someone who might hold the right information given what he knew already.

He blended in well, in Muggle clothes; a pair of comfortable jeans that were slightly baggy since he'd lost a bit of weight, a black t-shirt, a thick hoodie and a pair of sneakers. They were plain, boring; it was perfect. No one noticed him as he walked past, no one cared who or what he was. It was almost nice, not being noticed; even in Hogwarts, where only three people tended to speak to Theo regularly, people noticed him - either because he was considered a loner or because he was considered a traitor. He would gladly hide away completely, be content as a Muggle, at least until the war was over, but as long as his dreams kept coming, he couldn't just sit around and pretend nothing was wrong.

That would mean his father had won; after everything the man had done to him, he would not let that happen. Theo could die in this war, but he wouldn't care, not as long as his father lost, knowing that he didn't have his asset. He'd make his mother proud.

The Muggle notes in Theo's pocket, made up of money he'd been able to take from his Gringotts account and have exchanged and money his old nanny and her Muggle husband had given to him, allowed him to spend a good few hours in the café down the road. From the window, he could see the entrance to the Ministry clearly enough to know when someone of interest was close by and they couldn't see him. Not that they would recognize him if they could, not unless they came really close and he would never let that happen.

Theo kept the hood down because the woman behind the counter kept giving him dirty looks, but he didn't really need it to cloak his face when his hair did the same thing. His dark hair was longer than he'd ever had it, a thick mess that was usually straight but now almost curled at the end. It covered his eyes and ears, tickling the back of his neck and almost touching his hood. The bottom half of his face was itchy thanks to the _almost_ beard he was sporting; he scratched absently and thought about shaving. He hadn't done a thing to really clean himself up since he left; showers and deodorant were essential but shaving and a haircut were not on his list of priorities.

And his priority was war.

Theo was on his fourth glass of cola and his sixth cookie when someone came. The sun hadn't set yet, though Theo knew it wouldn't be long, but he could still only see the figure's back clearly. Whenever the man - he looked like a man - turned, shadows from the buildings clouded his face. He seemed to be waiting for something, or someone, and was impatient. Theo watched his right hand twitch at his side, every so often - his wand hand, he realized. And he knew then that the Death Eater waiting by the Ministry's entrance was his father. He'd spent enough time around the man to know his tells. His father was here and he was impatient; something _big_ was happening.

Jumping out of his seat, Theo grabbed his bag and left the café; he almost decided to turn and walk away, or run, just to keep away from his father. He didn't care if he was recognized or not, it almost wasn't worth it.

But what if he could stop it? Theo shook his head; he couldn't stop whatever the Death Eaters were planning, he was only one person against an army. He wasn't the hero people were looking to and he had no desire to be. But maybe any information could help; he'd take that.

Theo hid behind the wall of the closest building to his father when another joined him. He felt a little ridiculous, like a spy in one of those bad movies he watched when he was hiding in the Muggle cinema a week ago, but he could hear them and that was good enough for him. Their voices were low and cryptic at first, as though making sure the Muggles passing them didn't understand. Theo thought that was the strangest part of their plan, whatever it was; they were willing to maim and kill anyone who stood in their way, surely adding innocent Muggles to their already growing list shouldn't bother them?

Then Theo understand that whatever was happening truly was worse if they were being careful about avoiding detection now, which was what would happen if they killed anyone so close to the Ministry of Magic.

The Ministry...

_The Minister?_

"When, Nott?" the second Death Eater growled, causing Theo to jump at the use of the last name. He thought he'd been caught for a moment.

He breathed out in relief when his father answered; he wasn't caught, he wasn't dead. "Soon."

The second man, younger and less experienced compared to his father, seemed unhappy with the response he received. Theo almost felt sympathetic for the guy; he obviously didn't know of David Nott and his reputation. Theo suspected the only reason his father was still free to do his Lord's dirty work was _because_ of his reputation; his punishment for Theo's disgrace was probably commanding the lackeys, and even that was better than being trapped in the manor with the risk of being tortured. He was doing better than the Malfoys.

_He always is,_ Theo thought angrily.

The younger Death Eater glared at Nott. "Have you seen your son lately?"

"I wouldn't," Nott threatened darkly; his wand, hidden in his sleeve, was pointed at the man's chest. Theo knew not to expect love or even sympathy from his father; Theo was just the boy who caused him problems. "You know the order; capture him, and if he resists, kill on sight."

The cold tone in his father's voice sent shivers down Theo's spine, scaring him more than anger ever could. He understood anger, it would mean his father felt _something_ for him, but to be so cold, to hear the same tone he'd heard his whole life being used when talking about his death, it confirmed exactly how his father saw him now.

_Forget 'disgraced son', he has no son._

It shifted Theo's entire mindset; he was no longer looking at his father, but a Death Eater like any other. He saw the same black cloak the others wore and cold brown eyes that made Theo glad he had his mother's blue one's.

_Mum..._ He wished she was with him, that they were in her hometown in New Zealand, like she'd planned to do so long ago, before...

No. He wouldn't think of that, not now.

"I know the order," he stammered slightly, conforming to Nott.

"Good." Nott lowered his wand, checked the sky to see the setting sun and gave a curt nod toward the entrance to the Ministry. "Now."

They moved away from Theo's hiding spot, taking his information with him, and Theo, not having the courage to move and figure out what was happening, stayed outside.

He heard the screams before he saw the chaos the Death Eaters had caused; he couldn't bring himself to go inside, but Theo did stay close to the entrance to hear the aftermath. It was horrible and wrong, he knew, to wait for people to get hurt before he could know anything, but he hoped it would be worth it in the end. Theo had collected a fair bit of information during the month and a half he'd been gone, knew things that would put a few Death Eaters in prison once the war was over, including his father.

That was, if Voldemort lost; his dreams were hazy and showed multiple possible endings based on the two outcomes. One won and one lost, he just didn't know which was true.

To know that his father was involved in this attack on the Ministry, among his other crimes, was sure to get the man a life sentence, at least.

So, Theo had stayed and he'd waited and he'd cringed when the screams came. People ran from all sides of the Ministry, fleeing the building; some seemed to be bleeding, others limping, most were just terrified. Theo imagined that most of the damage, the casualties, were inside. The Minister included, he heard someone cry.

He kept as close to the wall as he could, though he didn't think anyone would see him; it was dark now, except for the street lights, but also crowded. He knew that he could slip away now that he had what he needed; the attack and the Minister's supposed death were what he came for. He didn't move, though, he didn't think; one second the Death Eater who had joined the crowd had his wand pointed at a screaming woman, the next a shield charm fell from his lips and kept her safe. She ran and the Death Eater, the same one who had been with his father, turned on him.

"Theodore Nott," he sneered, hoping that turning him in would gain him favor with his lord, Theo guessed. "Somehow I knew you'd come here. It's not the first time I've caught you snooping."

Theo didn't give him a chance to elaborate on where he'd seen Theo before; he pointed his wand, rushed out an 'expelliarmus' and ran. He heard footsteps behind him, but refused to turn around, not even to defend himself; he held onto his wand, knowing he could lose the Death Eater in the crowd and the dark, and sped up. It was only a few yards until he could Apparate.

Theo tripped over his feet when a curse hit him in the side, causing him to cry out and lose his footing, but he managed to stay up. He turned the corner and Apparated away, leaving the chaos far behind.

Thankful that he had only booked his last room for two days and had all of his stuff with him, Theo stopped at a little hotel in the Devon countryside and paid for a new room. He only paid for one night; if he didn't have to leave by tomorrow night, he'd pay extra then.

The room was cosy, with a soft bed and a nightstand. The bathroom, he was told, was down the hall. Theo dropped his bag on his bed and ran to the bathroom for tissue and anything to cover a wound; he was glad to find a first aid kit under the sink, even if it was only a box with a couple of plasters and one, square bandage inside. Back in his room, Theo pulled off his hoodie and his t-shirt, balanced the little mirror on the nightstand so he could see his side, and used the tissue to clean away the blood. It stung, he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out and alerting the owners. He hadn't heard the spell, but it hadn't been intended to cause much damage; the Death Eater had clearly wanted to offer him to Voldemort rather than kill him.

"So he can use me," Theo muttered to himself bitterly.

He put the bloody tissues in a pile to flush down the toilet and covered the cut with the bandage. He wasn't as good as healing magic as he was with defensive magic and didn't want to make things worse; if he had to, he'd try tomorrow, but for now it looked okay.

Theo pressed his hand against the bandage to make sure it stuck, examining himself for any other injuries and finding none. He relaxed, grateful he was physically fit and a fast runner. Then he ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed, praying this would soon be over, that Harry Potter and his two friends knew what they were doing. He had no doubt they were all together; he'd had a number of dreams that showed them running away.

Closing his eyes and leaning against the nightstand for support, Theo hoped all of his practicing was paying off and tried to See what was going on. He wasn't strong enough to See everything, not like he might if he were to dream, but dreams only showed what was felt he needed to See. Whereas looking himself, even if it was only a flash, allowed him to See what he wanted to look for.

They also brought migraines, pain that was like pins being pushed through his head; he didn't look often, it wasn't always worth it.

In the visions, he saw a white ball, heard a chilling whisper, and then more screaming, people running rampant in what looked like a tent. A party of some kind. Then he saw Harry; there one moment and gone the next. Apparition.

Theo stopped, his head throbbing and the whisper still clear in his mind.

_They are coming._

He shivered and fell onto his bed, on his good side. He crawled up it and buried his head in his pillow. Deep in his subconscious, one more thing let itself known to Theo: July 31st.

"Happy birthday, Harry," he whispered sympathetically and let his eyes close.

_The locket swung in his hand, real but not real; a duplicate. The gold S on the front gleamed when the sunlight hit it from the window. It was surrounded in evil, whispering to him._

No, that was the other one. The lost one...

"Where is it, Kreacher?"

The house elf cowered behind the table, knew of the lost locket. Spat out a name when ordered to.

"Fletcher..."

Theo jumped up, his head spinning as he checked the still dark room. Frantic, he put the lamp on and caught his breath. Once he was calm, he settled into bed and went through the events in his dream.

He'd seen the locket once before, in a previous dream; it was a fake, used to trick Voldemort according to the note he'd seen inside it. Only Voldemort never knew, as far as Theo understood.

But what the locket was, he didn't know. Harry did, Theo was sure; he looked as though he knew in the dreams. It had never come up in them; apparently he wasn't ready to know what was going on.

Eventually, Theo was able to go back to sleep, what happened taking its toll on his still aching body. And this time, his dreams were his own. Only they starred the same person.


	3. Looking for Harry

Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger had guts, Theo had to give them that. He was starting to think that only them three would be stupid enough to do whatever it was they were doing in the long run, if breaking into the Ministry when it was controlled by Death Eaters was one of their plans. Everything had been coming in dreams since the beginning of August, growing stronger and longer with each day, and all Theo really knew was that they wanted the locket that kept coming up.

_The real one. But what is it?_

There had to be magic surrounding it, he'd felt it in his dreams and it certainly wasn't good, and he couldn't deny that it was important, even if it had looked like a cheap bit of gold - but he hadn't gotten a good look at it, only briefly seen the S on the front, so he wasn't actually sure what it was like or how valuable it was.

A small part of him had hoped it would be worth selling if he found it first (he'd been keeping an eye out), because the money he had had was all but gone now, but he knew immediately that he'd find a way to get it to them... he could've have asked how they were eating on the run and copied them instead.

But no, that odd thought was pushed away once Theo dreamt of them breaking into the Ministry and stealing the locket from Umbridge. He hoped knocking her out had hurt the evil woman, even just a little - that thought made his days better.

It was when September rolled around that the dream of them breaking in became so strong and clear that Theo had woken up knowing it was going to happen in the next day or so. His dream had been mundane at first, one of his own - him and Blaise Zabini were doing homework in the library, while Astoria Greengrass, who had already finished, played lookout for her sister. It was a normal day at Hogwarts, the place he should be and would have gone to if Dumbledore hadn't been killed. The memory of seeing his old headmaster lying dead on the school grounds was a harsh one, filled with fear and loathing. He'd ignored the prickling feeling in the back of his mind that told him there was something more to the story and focused on the reasons why he hated everything to do with the war. That was the night he'd thought about running away, his father telling him about his meeting with Voldemort just pushed him into doing it - if they could get Dumbledore, no one was safe.

Theo pushed back the memory and focused on the television screen in his room. He was low on funds when he bumped into a girl called Charlie in the street, enough for fast food to last a week maybe, but not for a room. She was a nice girl, in a way - she was pretty, with light blond hair and soft blue eyes, and she was very willing to give him a room, but a different price had been paid.

He didn't care.

The morning of the break in, he'd persuaded her to leave him alone in the room; she always did eventually, she had to work behind the front desk of her family's hotel, but she tried to stay with him until noon. With her gone, he was able to keep track of his visions without her noticing his magic and asking questions. Questions would force him to leave and he had no idea where to go. And, deep down, he knew he'd miss the company; he'd been alone for two and a half months and he was beginning to feel a little crazy.

Mostly, he missed Blaise and Astoria; the guy wasn't the easiest to get along with, sometimes driving Theo crazy, but he was always there, and Astoria made sure he stayed in line. She'd met them through her sister Daphne and made a better impression. They were his friends; he hoped they were okay in Hogwarts - they'd both chosen to stay neutral in the war, and though Theo hadn't Seen anything, he often feared that their lack of participation would only save them if they survived to the end, given who was running the school.

"Please be okay," he whispered, closing his eyes and looking for them, just for a moment and then he'd look at that locket again. He wanted to know why it was so important.

***

That moment turned into an hour of flashes; his friends were huddled in a corner in the library, ignoring what was going on in the school, but were otherwise fine. He couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep, but an hour of using all that magic had drained him and he'd welcomed it. Until he'd woken up and been painfully reminded of the fact that he'd been on the floor.

Theo sat up and stretched slowly, the bones in his back clicking in places he didn't think could, and wondered what Charlie would get him to eat. She didn't really want him wandering around the hotel in case her parents caught him and they found out that he wasn't paying for a room, but if she wasn't up in an hour, he would be careful when going down and ask her if he could look at the menu their little dining area had.

He spent the time watching more of the television, loving the magic box with the moving pictures and sound more and more, every time he found something that he liked; he wasn't much of a fan of daytime TV dramas or soaps, as Charlie had called them, although they weren't as questionable as late night TV, but he loved the movies and was quickly becoming a fan of Muggle sports. Rugby was fun, fit blokes beat how violent it sometimes looked, but football was his favorite. He knew a little about it after watching Muggle boys in his neighborhood play when his father wasn't home, but that didn't compare to seeing a real game. He hoped he could see one live one day, like when he went to the Quidditch World Cup - only this time his father wouldn't invite him as an alibi when the Death Eaters attacked.

Theo smiled sadly at his reflection on the screen, knew that he loved the box so much because it distracted him from what was happening out in the world for a while. Distraction was all he really had; he had no idea what was truly going on on either side and his visions were not helping. If fate wanted him to help, to do anything, they would give him something... helpful, like an actual vision, rather than just flashes. They'd show him something that he could follow, use. They'd give him a purpose.

But no, he was hiding in some room, sleeping with the owners' daughter while talking to himself because he missed his friends, admiring sports players he didn't even know and dreaming of Harry Potter. All of those things were just helping with his theory that he was slowly but surely losing his mind.

He dropped back down onto the floor. "I'm screwed," he told the ceiling, foolishly hoping for an answer back, telling him what to do.

The answer came in the form of a vision he wanted but wasn't prepared for; the sudden rush of images in his head had him crying out, as though something was pushing itself through his skull. Then he was in a forest and Harry was sat in front of a tent. He looked tense, his jaw locked and his back stiff. Theo was afraid one touch would cause him to explode. Every so often he would close his eyes and take a breath, and Theo hoped that would let the anger he was holding in go, but when he opened them, Harry's green eyes seemed darker than before and Theo's hope vanished.

Hermione came, but it didn't help; Harry snapped at her and demanded things she couldn't give, wanting to leave. He jumped when he heard the radio and Theo knew then that hearing it was what was pissing Harry off, at least part of the reason.

His whole demeanor changed when Hermione demanded that he take the locket off, and though he didn't apologize for his outburst, he looked apologetic and that seemed to be enough for Hermione. She went inside the tent, leaving Harry - and Theo - alone in the trees.

He jumped up, his breathing heavy but his mind clear. He'd had a real vision, one like his dreams only while he was awake - he saw an actual event, with movement and speech and a story, not flashes. It was like watching the television, only much clearer and more vivid, more... real.

And he knew what he had to do.

Quickly, Theo stood up and packed his stuff, found his jacket and snuck out of the room. He heard voices both above and below him, but thankfully the stairway was clear. He managed to get to the ground floor with ease, it was getting out that was more of a problem - Charlie was at the desk, had her back to him but still had a clear view of the door. He'd grown to like Charlie a little and he felt like she deserved to know that he was leaving, but she would ask why and how he knew he had to leave, and he couldn't tell her that he'd had a vision of a guy he had to help. He couldn't tell her that he had no idea where he was going, that he was just following his magic and his instincts.

If he did, she would start thinking he was crazy, too.

Theo waited until he had the perfect opportunity to leave, which came almost ten minutes later when an elderly couple came asking for something; feeling a little guilty, Theo pulled his wand out from his jacket pocket and pointed it at the old woman's bag so that it opened and everything fell out.

He ran while Charlie helped pick them back up and prayed he found the right place, wherever they were.

***

Apparating could be dangerous when done properly; Apparating without a destination in mind, only a gut instinct guided by a vision, had Theo bleeding a number of times, on different parts of his body. He was grateful he hadn't been splinched and that his healing spells were getting better, but he was still left with jagged pink marks that would take a while to heal and some that would likely scar. There was blood all over his clothes and on his skin, he was tired and dirty after walking around all night and a lot of the day, and all he wanted was to shower and sleep.

_Does their magic tent even have a shower?_

He pondered the question throughout his journey. It helped him to not think about the fact that they had no idea who he was and probably wouldn't let him near them, let alone stay. He'd only ever seen Hermione Granger in the library, she'd sat in front of him once and asked if he'd needed a book by his side, but he'd never so much as shared a glance with the other two, not even when they'd shared classes. He was a stranger, one they didn't have to trust, and he was invading their privacy, letting himself join in because a dream - almost - had told him where to go.

_But that's the only reason why I'm coming; the dream. It must be important or it wouldn't be bringing me to them._

Theo remembered that the rest of the way, told himself out loud without caring if people heard him when he got to an opening to a large forest his magic had brought him, a little voice in the back of his mind telling him it was the right place to be. Theo glanced around; there was a small village nearby according to a sign, but it didn't tell him where he was because he didn't know the name. He only knew a handful of places in the world - his manor in Essex, Adam's comic book store in London, the Nott holiday home in the south of France and Hogwarts. He was nowhere near any of those places.

He thought about delaying his mission for one more day, finding a place to stay in the village, but he didn't have the money for a room and sex was the furthest thing from his mind. Taking a deep breath and summoning as much courage as a Slytherin could, Theo stepped into the forest and searched for their camp. He figured it would be protected, which wouldn't be a problem once he found it, he just hoped that Hermione Granger wasn't so good that he couldn't find it - they were safe from Snatchers because they weren't likely to be looked for here and a lot of the Snatchers were too thick to think to feel for magical signatures if they did come here, but Theo had been brought to them so he just had to find magic.

He needed to find them soon; he felt like his body was shutting down and it would get dark again soon enough.

It took almost two hours and he was drained again from using magic to sense and find them. Theo almost cried out in relief when he felt strong traces of magic that was not his own; he put his hand out and felt the wards shiver beneath his palm. It was a familiar trace, one he'd felt many times in school - Granger was here.

_Finally._

He couldn't see or hear him, but imagined they could hear him if they were listening - they'd want to listen out for trouble, wouldn't they? He thought about calling out to them, only stopping because he had no idea what to say. After a pause, an idea coming to mind, Theo decided to break their wards and go through; it would get him into some trouble with them, but it would be worth it once they saw that he was useful and could be trusted.

Theo was quick; he'd spent many nights breaking into his father's things for money and alcohol, he could break wards and put them back faster than anyone he knew, except perhaps Dumbledore, though he only guessed based on the man's reputation - he couldn't imagine their headmaster ever breaking into things when he was alive.

When the wards were back up, stronger than before now that they were renewed, Theo stopped to listen - no one came. He knew why after taking a few steps; Harry was snapping at Hermione, just like in his dream. He waited for the radio to start, and then for Hermione to demand the locket be taken off, letting the dream play out exactly as he had seen it. When he was sure Hermione was inside the tent, Theo stepped forward.

Harry saw him quickly and with amazingly fast reflexes, probably helped by playing the Seeker position for six years, he had his wand pointed at Theo's chest. If only to show his cooperation, Theo dropped his back onto the floor carefully and held up his hands in surrender.

"I fixed your wards," he said, loud enough for the others to hear and show them all that he was willing to remain unarmed and outnumbered.

Hermione was clearly confused and both her and Ron were instantly suspicious, the redhead more so, but they stayed behind Harry with their wands out. Theo's gaze met theirs for seconds each before going back to Harry; he was in this position to help _him_, after all. He looked so much older than his years, more like a man than the boy he saw last; he too was suspicious at first, and though it didn't go away completely, it gave way for surprise and confusion. Something seemed to click in Harry's mind and his green eyes, once narrowed, widened. He kept his wand pointed at Theo, but pulled his elbow back a little.

"How the hell did you get in here?"


End file.
